


Liber Novus

by BitterBlathers



Series: Triptych [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Backstory, Character Study, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm completely making up how the Velvet Room works just roll with it, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Canon, Probably directly contradicts parts of canon but I had fun with it, The Velvet Room (Persona Series), Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:47:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterBlathers/pseuds/BitterBlathers
Summary: Finally, Margaret draws two of the books out from the trunk and turns, focusing back on Lavenza and holding one out. As Lavenza takes the offered book and sits next to her sister on the couch, her fingers seem to alight with sensation and she can feel the sheer power contained in the tome. Margaret chuckles at her astonished expression. “Powerful, isn’t it? Why don’t you open it?” Lavenza seats the heavy compendium in her lap, and cracks it open to somewhere in the middle.She feels a tug, a pull in deep of her soul, and the shimmering cards carefully inscribed onto the page glisten as if the dark ink is freshly placed. Alongside every card, Margaret’s neat handwriting lists out both names and arcana. The list might not even be necessary, honestly- even with her eyes closed, these cards almost sing to her, she realizes, head buzzing as she trails her fingers along the page.“Do you feel that strong link? This is the power of a bond with others."
Series: Triptych [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704865
Comments: 19
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

> Give me your hand, my almost forgotten soul. How warm the joy at seeing you again, you long disavowed soul. Life has led me back to you. Let us thank the life I have lived for all the happy and all the sad hours, for every joy, for every sadness. My soul, my journey should continue with you. I will wander with you and ascend to my solitude.”  
>  ― C.G. Jung, The Red Book: Liber Novus

First, there is a sudden shock of awareness, a completely sudden and startling force of _being_ where one was not existing before. Blearily, her eyes blink open and what she sees is _blue, blue blue._

“Welcome,” she hears, “To the Velvet Room.” 

Slowly, instinctually, her head rolls to the side- a trio of three very blue-clad humans stand gathered next to a fourth, black-clad one. The surrounding space is just black- an endless void, indescribably immaterial. 

“I see you’ve finally come-to. Welcome. I am delighted to finally meet you, Lavenza.” 

Lavenza is… her? This a label for herself? The one speaking was the one in black. As he stops speaking, settling into a wide, many-toothed grin, her eyes are drawn to the trio standing off to the side, peering at them in interest. 

At her gaze, one of the two women in the blue trio seems to almost bounce in place, the blue dress swinging and fluttering wildly around her legs. The taller man folds his arms behind his back, looking away almost embarrassed, while the second woman simply smooths her skirt and calmly returns her gaze. 

At their movements, the floor beneath the three seems to ripple and ebb, a brilliant blue shimmering along it, reality tugging in strange ways. Curiously, _Lavenza_ (for this is who she must be) attempts to sit up, arms trembling as she flexes new muscles and feels for the limits of her new form. At her movements, the oddly figured man in the suit speaks again, and all movement is stilled- all attention again returned. 

“Margaret, please assist our newest attendant.” 

It is the calmer of the two women who walks towards her. At every ‘click’ of her sharply-heeled shoe against what could be assumed to be the floor, the walking path again shimmers gelatinously. Every pulse of the floor seems to command her focus, and she’s startled when the woman finally reaches her and speaks.

“Hello there, Lavenza,” she greets, reaching a hand out. “My name is Margaret. Let me be the first to wish you a happy birthday.” 

Birthday? Before she can puzzle over another new mystery, Margaret’s gentle hands reach out and help pull her off the raised platform she’s laying on. As she’s helped into standing on her shaking legs, Lavenza has a swathe of white fall in her face- it’s only as Margaret’s soft hands brush it out of her face and behind her shoulders that she realizes it’s long hair- _her_ long hair. Before she gets too distracted, Margaret urges her with a light hand to start walking over to the others. 

Despite stumbling into Margaret slightly, who steadies her, she does manage to follow Margaret on slow, awkward steps on the surprisingly stable flooring over to where the other three are standing. Margaret stays close, but she does settle her facing the others and speaks as she steps away. 

“This is our Master, Igor.” At her words, the strangely-shaped man who had spoken earlier nods, grin growing ever-wider. Peering curiously, leaning forward, now that Lavenza is closer to everyone, his nose is proportioned very _differently_ than Margaret’s-) 

“Greetings, Lavenza.” His eyes bore deep, almost hypnotically as he returns Lavenza’s stare, and he doesn’t break it even as he gestures to the two remaining people. Lavenza abruptly looks away, stumbling slightly as she turns to look at the other woman immediately stepping forward. She gets very close to Lavenza very quickly, hemming-and-hawing as she looks at her from all angles, and then yanks her ever-moving skirts violently into what turns into a surprisingly graceful curtsy. 

“Greetings, Sister! My name is Elizabeth. Let us have a most wonderful time!” Curtsy completed, Elizabeth straightens, tucking her very short hair ( _much_ shorter than Margarets) back behind her ears and re-adjusting her hat. As Elizabeth steps back, she uses her other arm to usher the last man forward. Folding one hand over his chest and the other across his waist, he sweeps into a deep and graceful bow. 

“I am Theodore. I hope that you find your new home welcoming.” At this, Theodore rights himself and steps back, seemingly composed. 

Igor speaks again, and Lavenza finds herself stepping closer to him again, attention effortlessly drawn in. 

“You have been born here, at one of the many shores of the Sea of Souls, to fulfill the role as an attendant to the Velvet Room- a role you will share with my current three attendants. Do you accept your position?” 

Everything is new and brilliant, and Lavenza is constantly awed at every discovered sense, every strange and unknowable movement of her limbs, her eyes, her body, every experience she has had. Despite this, she knows, somewhere _deep_ in her very newly-discovered self what she is destined to say. 

“Yes.” Her hand flies to her throat, startled by the actual sensation of speaking, and she sees Margaret, Elizabeth, and Theodore- the three of them are called _attendants_ , apparently, and now so is she- give genuine smiles. As she feels her mouth pull up as well, a brilliant blue sheen glimmers over her, covering her body and seeming to sink into her skin. Again, Igor speaks. 

“Ah, it seems our contract has begun.” The endless blue of the area they are in (shore, is what they called it) seems to pulse at his words, blue growing ever deeper. 

“Lavenza, your role as an attendant will ultimately be to become both guide and confidant to many great Guests to our Velvet Room. Aside from that, well… all will be revealed in time. Until it is time for you to begin your first journey, your Sisters and Brother will be here to aid you in your education.” _Sister_ \- that is a word Elizabeth used, and _Brother_ is not one that she recognizes. However, at his words, it is the three attendants that he gestures to, and so this is who they must be. 

“For now, I leave you in their capable hands. Please do take care of our newest Attendant.” At his words, all three of her fellow attendants bow deeply. As they rise, Igor simply….. vanishes? Looking around puzzled, Lavenza doesn’t argue as Elizabeth fawns over her, smile absolutely beaming, taking her hand and exclaiming, “Hello! I cannot wait for us to have the most _glorious_ times!’”

“Hello,” Lavenza returns, blinking slowly. At her words, the other three smile again, and Theodore puts a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. Margaret steps forward again as Elizabeth draws back, and again speaks calmly. 

“You must have many questions. Let’s get you introduced to your new role, yes?” Margaret holds out her hand, and as Lavenza slips her smaller hand into the offered grasp, the shores ripple and fade away to the sound of beating wings.


	2. Chapter 2

Lavenza thinks she is enjoying her newly discovered existence. After the other three (her siblings, that is her two Sisters and one Brother, how exciting) lead her through some basics of being a Thing That Exists. Borne of the Sea of Souls, she is a soul that has been gifted shape and brought by a cosmic destiny to serve her Master, Igor, by attending the spaces they call the Velvet Room. The Velvet Room is large, containing endless rooms created not unlike her, connected together by the strings of existence floating outside mind and matter. 

They begin with lessons- Margaret seems to take the lead on introducing her to the details of her actual attendant duties- Elizabeth and Theodore tell her that Margaret has been here the longest, Theodore the newest attendant until now. She trails behind her eldest sister, following her from Room to Room as she is introduced to all sorts of concepts and ideas.

Overall, she learns that eventually, she will assist  _ humans _ who have been found worthy- they are called  _ guests,  _ and unless there is a reason, they are not often found in the Velvet Room _. _ Their forms are quite similar to that of Lavenza and her siblings, but the humans live  _ outside  _ of the Velvet Room in what is considered reality _.  _ Strangely linear and all flat, completely unlike the malleable world she’s coming to know. However, her most pertinent and important duty is to attend to a much more complex guest gifted with the power to change fate- these guests are called  _ Wildcards _ . How they do this, and how she is to fulfill her role as an Attendant to support her  _ tricksters _ in their  _ journeys  _ will be taught to her by her siblings as she settles into her new life. 

However, when Margaret is busy assisting their Master, Lavenza trails behind Elizabeth and Theodore. Elizabeth delights in her reactions to new experiences, Theodore enjoying not being the youngest. Traveling with the duo, however, Lavenza quickly realizes that while Theodore  _ gives _ the appearance of calm, Elizabeth seems to delight in  _ anyone’s  _ reactions and knows just what buttons to push to get him to engage in her immaturity, taunting him. 

Every time Elizabeth and Theodore take her to a new Room (of which there are endless multitudes) she finds there are just as endless questions she has about the structures and creations to be found in the small glimpses of the human world.

“Sister,” she asks, as Elizabeth is showing her some currently unused rooms, “What is  _ that?” _

Elizabeth turns where Lavenza is pointing, and gasps in surprise. “That, my dear Sister, is a lamp.”

“What is it for?” She asks, leaning in curiously. Elizabeth reaches over and plucks the top of the lamp off, leaving the strangely shaped metal base and bulb bare. 

“Well, it’s a fashion statement of course! You simply take the shade and place it over your head-” Elizabeth begins lowering the lampshade over Lavenza’s head, blocking her sight. Curiously, it’s dusty. She sneezes and reaches up to try to push it off her face. 

Theodore cuts in, from where he’s been examining the desk in this room, plucking the lampshade off her head and brushing the dust off her hair. Lavenza sneezes again. 

“That is certainly  _ not  _ what that is for, Sister, please do not listen to her-” and as usual, they devolve into bickering until the matter is  _ eventually _ settled. It’s endlessly entertaining to Lavenza- she follows them around everywhere  _ like a duckling,  _ Elizabeth says, and in turn they playfully showboat for her until Margaret comes to find them and reign in some facsimile of order.

While she was intentionally born with a natural aptitude for learning the studies of an Attendant, which she learns primarily from Margaret, there are some harder to grasp tasks. They seem to be the more mundane of her tasks, such as learning to find her way through the ever-linked multitude of Velvet Rooms on her  _ own _ , rather than being led by Elizabeth and Theodore. It becomes more common when Elizabeth is called away to prepare for her next Guest, a wildcard, incredibly, and she sees Theodore less frequently as well, as he’s pulled away to assist her in her preparations. 

She’s encouraged to explore and familiarize herself with the nuances of the spaces between mind and matter, finding where they’re given shape and slipping in and out of them with ease. It is on one of these solo excursions that she finds herself completely and totally lost. Usually, when she explores on her own, she manages to find a path to a room that she recognizes, and can manage to either remember her way out or is found. 

However, at this point she has been wandering between Velvet Rooms for much longer than she usually does, and she keeps finding herself in increasingly bizarre spaces. She hasn’t recognized any of the rooms she usually uses as landmarks in a long time. As she travels from room to room using the strange twisting hallways between pockets of reality, she’s so turned around that she feels an increasing feeling of  _ something  _ swelling in her chest as she realizes she is so far deep in the labyrinth of Velvet Rooms she cannot possibly hope to find her way back out alone.    
  


As she walks into the next room and searches for the pathway to the next, she finds herself increasingly flustered as she realizes she can’t find it. Sinking into one of the couches, she sees that this Velvet Room seems to be a study of some sort- at least she can recognize most of this room,  _ modern, _ Theodore had called it, quite unlike the oddities she’s been stuck with in her last few. Something feels stuck in her throat, and she reaches up in surprise when something wet rolls down her face and plops in her lap.  _ Crying _ , she realizes distantly, something Margaret had described to her when Elizabeth had imitated  _ crocodile tears  _ during a particularly robust bout of her theatrical dramatics. 

Huffing frustratedly, she quickly wipes the traitorous tear away because she’s not afraid at all! Of course she isn’t, even though she realizes she has no way to even keep searching at this point because she can’t  _ find _ her way back. She’s very late for her lesson with Margaret, and she knows that her Sister is likely looking for her but it’s very lonely- she’s never been truly  _ alone _ for as long as she’s been alive, it’s hard to reconcile the logical part of her saying that she will be found with the weird feeling in her chest and throat that just seem to encourage her traitorous eyes to sting. 

She doesn’t know how long she sits there sniffling, but she’s startled out of it by a sudden presence entering the room. As her face flies up from her hands, she finds that Margaret has appeared, and Lavenza finds herself launching off the couch and flinging her arms around her waist. 

“You were unusually late for your lesson” Margaret says, kneeling to wipe her face, “and since Elizabeth has left to be stationed with her Guest, and Theo hadn’t seen you, I realized you must be lost. It must have been frightening, yes?”

“I- I wasn’t afraid, sister, it’s just, the dust-” 

Margaret laughs and it rings in the room like a bell. 


	3. Chapter 3

Theodore returns quickly from assisting Elizabeth in her preparations, and their routine is much quieter without Elizabeth there to liven things up. Nevertheless, Lavenza enjoys the routine they fall into with Margaret teaching the more complex lessons, and Theodore helping her practice.

He says he doesn’t mind, that it’s practice for him to brush up on his skills as well. However, Lavenza can see how he worries after Elizabeth, now that she’s gone- the two rarely spend time apart, after all. As the time stretches on, Lavenza settles into a new routine, and although she misses Elizabeth, it’s easy to stay occupied and focus on learning her duties. Things fall into a comfortable lull for a time, but it isn’t to last. 

Elizabeth’s guest has died under her duty, and some part of Elizabeth seems to have gone with him. 

Lavenza finds out when she rounds the corner to hear what sounds like  _ Theodore,  _ yelling, whom she has never heard bicker with anyone but Elizabeth, and even so he has never sounded so  _ angry.  _ Paused in her tracks, mouth ajar, she doesn’t notice Margaret come up behind her, painted finger to her lips as she gestures to Lavenza to turn around. 

“Let's not bother Theo right now, Sister, he will be speaking to our Master for a while yet.” Margaret’s grip is tight and her nails dig a little too snugly into Lavenza’s shoulder as she steers Lavenza away from the doors and down another hall. Lavenza gapes at the realization that Theo was yelling at their  _ Master _ , of all people, and follows her clearly agitated eldest sister to a quieter location. What could have possibly upset both of her siblings so much?

When they arrive, Margaret releases her shoulder and collapses uncharacteristically ungracefully onto a sofa. Lavenza takes a delicate seat next to her. She turns to Margaret to speak, absolutely baffled, and with a feeling of unease growing as she sees her normally neat sister disheveled.

“Why is Theodore yelling at our Master? Sister what is going on?” Margaret takes a deep breath. As the silence grows, Lavenza is fidgeting, twisting her fingers in her skirt and then smoothing out the wrinkles, over and over, and she  _ knows  _ it's unbecoming but a growing sense of unease is overtaking her.

“Lavenza, Elizabeth has left the Velvet Room and refuses to return.”

“What!?” Lavenza bursts out, springing to her feet before she knows it, eyes wide. She didn’t even know Elizabeth was back. She spins to face her sister. “No, she wouldn’t do something like that! What about her guest?”    
  


“Lavenza, please sit and let me explain!” Margaret’s tone is sharp, and Lavenza immediately sits back down. Margaret pinches the bridge of her nose before she continues. 

“A soul slumbers at the ends of the worlds. Elizabeth’s guest has forgone his joy of living to his fate of that of an eternal seal, preventing mankind from destruction. Their contract is complete, but she continues nevertheless” Her voice is hushed, as if she’s still afraid of Theodore overhearing them. 

“She intends to save him from this fate. What she could be thinking she could possibly even do to change this, I cannot even imagine. She seeks a miracle, and refuses to return until she has forced one from fate by her own hand. Theodore is understandably shaken by these events, and is expressing his frustration in a manner that, while not wholly appropriate, is not surprising. I cannot say that I blame him, as I ran into Elizabeth as she was leaving and we had a….. Disagreement. It would not be surprising to me if they had an altercation of their own.” Margaret clasps her hands in her lap and stares down at them, not looking at Lavenza. Her lips are pursed tightly, and Lavenza….. Well, Lavenza is reeling. 

“She didn’t see me before she left…” she manages, feeling hurt and baffled. Margaret hums in agreement. 

“I don’t think she wanted you to be involved. What she’s doing is dangerous and completely unprecedented.” 

“What is she even going to  _ do?” _

“I truly don’t know.” The two sit together quietly for a long time, uneasiness and anxiety thrumming through the room. 

Theodore doesn’t come to see her before he leaves, either, chasing Elizabeth’s trail. Lavenza tries to ignore how it stings. 

* * *

As time passes, as much as it can be considered  _ to pass  _ in a dwelling such as theirs, Margaret is called to prepare for her next Guest- another Wildcard. Another one of fate’s tricksters arriving so soon is surprising to them both, but with Elizabeth still gone (Theodore as well, trying to chase her down and understand  _ what _ , exactly, she is trying to accomplish), it is up to Margaret to balance preparations with instructing Lavenza on all matters of her continuing education- and among those, the eagerly-awaited and pivotal lessons of using a Compendium.

Lavenza doesn’t know how, but something about her eldest sister seems to glow as she skims her fingers across an old and ornately carved trunk stuffed full of old Compendiums, although her eyes seem somewhat wistful. Waiting for Margaret to sift through the trunk she’s lugged in front of the couch, and select which Compendium they will study today, Lavenza quietly examines Margaret’s private quarters, where they’re holding their lessons today. Carefully, she makes her way through the trinkets and baubles lining the shelves. Sorting through carefully sorted stacks of jewelry, little figurines, even what seems to be a handmade scarf with little uneven loops pulled from the sloppy knitting, Lavenza finds something about each of them thrums with a distinct energy, so quiet she almost misses it. 

Finally, Margaret draws two of the books out from the trunk and turns, focusing back on Lavenza and holding one out. As Lavenza takes the offered book and sits herself next to Margaret on the couch, her fingers seem to alight with sensation and she can feel the sheer  _ power  _ contained in the tome. Margaret chuckles at her astonished expression. “Powerful, isn’t it? Why don’t you open it?” Lavenza seats the heavy compendium in her lap, and cracks it open to somewhere in the middle. 

She feels a tug, a pull in deep of her soul, and the shimmering cards carefully inscribed onto the page glisten as if the dark ink is freshly placed. Alongside every card, Margaret’s neat handwriting lists out both names and arcana. The list might not even be necessary, honestly- even with her eyes closed, these cards almost sing to her, she realizes, head buzzing as she trails her fingers along the page. 

“Do you feel that strong link? This is the power of a bond with others,” Margaret tugs Lavenza’s compendium over to her, and holds the book in her palm as the pages flutter and turn rapidly and untouched. They stop much further back in the book, and she hands it back to Lavenza. “These are what result of a weak bond- or perhaps no pursuit of a bond whatsoever.” The cards on this page are still powerful- but compared to arcana they studied before, it’s pitiful to consider them on the same level at all. Margaret leans forward. 

“Wildcards not only control power from within, but that they can manifest and create a bond with these souls floating in the abyss. Strengthening a bond of a similar arcana in their own lives is a conduit through which they can apply that strength to their own persona.” Lavenza nods thoughtfully. 

“Sister, if this is the case, why do we store their persona in a compendium rather than allowing them to just pull from the Sea of Souls?” 

“The Sea of Souls is a difficult place to access- most personae that are stored have long since wandered from their shores. Most Wildcards actually access their persona by  _ fusion _ , combining two souls ashore to birth another, or by negotiating with souls gone awry, which are commonly called  _ shadows.  _ Even a Wildcard can only handle so much power at one time. 

Our imprinting of these bonds is simply a recording of one, a line of which they can trace back to a soul they may have to release at some point in their journey, but meet again at a later time. We too, can call upon the echoes of their bonds. This does lead us to our lesson today: Summoning directly from the Compendium. It may be slightly more difficult for you since you did not oversee this Wildcard or forge a bond with him- however, I do believe it is possible to use this tome as a conduit for your power regardless.”

Margaret stands abruptly, and Lavenza scrambles to keep up, hoisting the heavy book in her arms as her sister flips open the second book she kept. The pages fly wildly as the book snaps open and hovers over Margeret’s upturned palm. Margaret’s eyes gleam and Lavenza feels the power radiating from her. 

“Let us begin.” 


	4. Chapter 4

As the time carries on (as much as one can consider time to pass in this place) they are slowly moving closer to Margaret’s next duty. Lavenza is summoned with her to assist directly in preparing for her next Guest, to prepare her for caring for her own room. They find their Master seated in one of the many-windowed rooms, with long slim seats and a multitude of glass bottles. As she assists Margaret in some last minute wiping down of the glasses, her elder sister explains quietly about _cars_ and _driving_ and _alcohol._ Lavenza is encouraged to ask questions, especially seeing as it is unknown when they will next have the opportunity to teach her in a Wildcard’s space. When they’ve finished rearranging the short bar, her Master calls her over to begin her lesson.

“It is fascinating, is it not? A new room has been born, one to be added on to the infinite others This is one of the Velvet Room’s many rooms, the spaces we inhabit between mind and matter. This is where Margaret will be stationed for the duration of her next Guest’s journey.”

As her Master finishes speaking, he laces his fingers back together, and nods at Margaret to continue from where she is now seated at his side.  
  


“When we have the potential to form a contract with a Wild Card, one of these spaces can be formed as a bridge between us and the Guest- as this power is awoken during periods of upheaval or uncertainty in life, their cognition almost always manifests their room as something transitional. For example, this _limousine,_ a _car_ , functions as a means to transport humans from one destination to another. I believe I have told you about Elizabeth’s Elevator room?”

“Yes, you have.” Lavenza pauses, considering, and picks up one of the bottles of alcohol she had finished polishing and holds it out as she steps closer to Margaret, Master watching from the side, wide grin ever-plastered as he peers over his folded hands at her.

“Sister, what purpose do items such as these serve in a cognitive space? If the human function of alcohol is to be consumable, what reason does it serve to have an non-consumable object as an offering? Why bother allowing the room to accumulate dust when one can will it to be clean?”

“A wonderful question.” Says her master,

“Remember,” Margaret says, “How the room is focusing on the importance of presentation to their guests and the reflection of the individual. Finding comfort in the familiarity of the unfamiliar can transform one space into having a completely different meaning. The simple addition of visual cues can change the mood of a space dramatically- tidy or messy, how items are arranged, the objects that appear and what they symbolize- the possibilities are infinite.”

Margaret chuckles, but doesn’t answer- instead, taking the bottle Lavenza had set aside earlier and offering it to her. After a glance to the side where her Master is sitting, who does nothing but silently raise her eyebrows, she reaches out to wrap her fingers on the cork.

It seems stuck, and she struggles, pulling hard before it doesn’t just slip out- it _pops_ out with a loud sound and blast of bitter-smelling air that tilts her already precarious balance completely off. She stumbles, back, arms thrown out and pinwheeling before she trips and falls soundly on her rear. _Ouch_! Pushing her hair out of her face, she feels her face grow hot and her face twist into a scowl as greeted with the deep chuckles of her Master behind his ever-laced fingers and Margaret unsuccessfully muffling her giggles as the bottle hangs in her hands.

That’s the last time she sees Margaret for a while.

* * *

With Margaret’s departure comes Theodore’s recall to the Velvet Room- Lavenza stands with their Master to greet him, but she is dismissed so that he may speak with Theodore privately. Theo gives her a gentle smile as she quietly leaves the room, and as she curiously looks around for Elizabeth she comes to the discomforting realization that Elizabeth likely has not returned alongside him. Soon after, Theodore returns from speaking with her Master and beckons her to follow him. She ponders her sister's continued absence as she travels, hallways warping as she follows Theo to what she realizes is the pathways one of Theo's favored rooms.

She takes a moment to marvel again at the unusual scenery- she stands in what he once taught her was an area called a _bridge_ on a _boat_ called a _ferry,_ made for transporting humans down bodies of water like _rivers_ and across _oceans._ She’s always mesmerized by the gentle rocking of the boat and the low roar of what shes told is an _engine,_ but even the novelty of a human facsimile does not distract her from facing her brother as he arrives- the quiet power of his his presence is different than the feeling she has come to associate with Margaret’s.

“Theo, welcome back.” She bows gently at the waist, and he does the same, before kneeling and drawing her into a brief gentle hug.

“Lavenza,” he says, “I missed you.” Lavenza zsmiles up at him. 

They move to sit by the window seat tucked behind the many-spoked _wheel_ , but the confusion and frustration Lavenza has been feeling at Elizabeth’s abandonment of her duties is sickly combining with what she loathes to admit is anxiety at the knowledge that a poor fate truly is an option. If she shifts quietly closer, Theo is either too polite or too lost in thought to

“Brother”, she quietly asks, smoothing invisible wrinkles out on her skirt, “Is Elizabeth in trouble?” She chances a glance up at him, and he’s staring out the window, and he looks so bizarrely grey and…. tired? Puzzling over this, she too faces the window- the endless rocking of the boat is not accompanied by any water, and they look out into an endless fog. The room does not actually exist in a physical sense, after all. Whatever Theo is looking at, it's clearly not the sights.

“I think”, he begins, and he’s been so quiet for so long that Lavenza almost startles, “that perhaps our Master is…. not pleased, however, I believe he understands her reasoning.”

“But she abandoned her duties! She hasn’t come back!” Facing her brother, arms crossed, Theo seems surprised at her outburst- her temper is rare but quick, and it is not often that he’s the one to incite it. Certainly she’s become more outspoken since he’s left. Her confidence has grown proudly along with her developing abilities. However, he recovers quickly.

“This is true, she abandoned her duties to the Velvet Room- however, I don’t believe he can fault her for what we were born to do, which is attend to our assigned guests. Elizabeth may seem scattered, but I assure you she is fiercely dedicated to her guests- and it seems she has experienced a much deeper bond with this wildcard than ones previous. Indeed, before she departed she told me she loved him.”

“Love?” Lavenza puzzles

Theo seems surprised that it's even a question, but then he chuckles. “I forget sometimes how young you are- you haven't had a single guest at all. Perhaps that's not surprising- after all, you're the first new attendant since myself. It is a strange change of pace to be the one asked those questions, however...” Theodore trails off, before refocusing, turning to face her directly.

“Sister, do you know why I favor this room?” When she shakes her head in negative, a bit confused at the seeming change of topic, he continues. “This was the room my last guest inhabited- a Wildcard. No matter how long they have been gone... Well. Perhaps its simplest to say we shared a deep bond, a connection fulfilled by a trickster’s true dedication to fulfilling their journey.”

It’s not often that Theo gives this much personal information away, all three of her elder siblings tending to be more private and reticent with information about their Guests. Margaret has explained that it’s very personal, and so Lavenza is startled at the reveal and seriousness in his tone.

When Theo does not speak again for a long moment, Lavenza chances a question.

“What does that have to do with Elizabeth’s Guest? I was told he finished his journey, yes?” Theo nods in assent.

“We are born to create bonds with our Wildcards, and to help guide them along their own journeys- I'm sure Margaret has explained this to you during your lessons.” Lavenza nods, recalling one of Margaret’s lessons.

_The relationships that a Wildcard cultivates, if strengthened properly, can become a bond- thus leading to one of their greatest strengths. Not only can it forge stronger connections with similar type Persona and assist in the creation of new skills, but bonding with another soul can introduce experiences that both parties would perhaps never have the opportunity to encounter on their own._

“Our bond with our Guests must be strong to help prepare them for their journey.” Theodore adjusts his hat, fidgeting slightly, as he continues, “Wildcards are born in times of great strife and struggle- as I'm sure you're aware, your birth was a result of the rapid increase in these Wildcards, as well as anticipation for one wholly suited to you and you alone.”

“Just me?”

“Yes, and no one else. For example, it has been quite some time since my last guest, and yet Margaret has been summoned ahead of me again. Perhaps fate did not see us compatible for bonding through the trials that her current Wildcard will face. We face many roles as an attendant- confidant, caretaker, meddler- doing our best to guide our Guests to their desired journeys completion. Our very fates are entwined- and by nature, our dedication and deep bonds with these special Guests, always Wildcards can only be described by what humans would call love.”

“I still don’t understand...”

“I think, perhaps, this is something you will not understand until you are summoned for your first Guest, and then still, until you meet your first Wildcard. There are some aspects of our power that I truly did not understand until I met my first Guest, and until I met my first Wildcard, I truly did not understand the value a bond can hold, nor what it felt like.”

She huffs out a sigh, unsatisfied with the answer. How can she imagine something she has never felt? Maybe she’s already felt it and simply doesn’t know? It's baffling, and although she knows that Theo will not lie to her, she is finding it hard to comprehend something she has no baseline to compare against.

“However, we have strayed from your original question. I do not believe Elizabeth is necessarily right in abandoning her duties. However, although we all have seen her Guests journey as complete, perhaps there are still unseen strands of fate compelling her to continue. Perhaps she sees his journey as incomplete and is unwilling to accept that some journeys do not end in a satisfactory ending.” The strange look on Theos face as he says this alarms Lavenza, and she can’t help but ask-

“Did your last guest finish their journey?”

“All journeys come to an end, even if we do not wish it to be so. Perhaps that is another reason I cannot fault Elizabeth for wishing to rescue her Guest from the repercussions of finishing his. After all, we help guide our guests to their fates- no matter if they are fates we are pleased with. This is the responsibility of those who govern power. My last Guest was a Wildcard, forged strong bonds and made it close to the end of her journey. All the pieces were in place, and yet….Perhaps fate did not deem it so. Although I cannot help but wonder...” Theodore still has a strange expression on his face, and although he hasn’t fully answered Lavenza drops the line of questioning and finds herself gently leaning into her brother as he turns to look back out the window. He seems to be done talking.

Lavenza feels a shiver crawl up her spine. She doesn’t quite understand the emotions behind it, but she’s already determined to be dedicated to her Wildcard no matter what- the possibility of a _poor_ fate, or perhaps a failure she had a hand in cultivating had not been scenarios she had previously considered. They sit in silence together in that Room for a long time, staring into the fog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update, I swear I have this whole series roughly planned but this past year has been a DOOZY good lord. I hope everyone is keeping safe and well!


	5. Chapter 5

With Margaret’s absence and Theodore’s return, he takes over Lavenza’s instruction- although, as Margaret has said, there’s not much left aside from practical experience with a Guest. Still, Theodore assists her in summoning and dismissing Personae in a Compendium Margaret had loaned her, cautioning her that this was a precious object, to please return it safely.

Lavenza truly feels she has grown into her duties. She no longer gets lost, long since having learned how the whispering pathways, following the winding and impossible ebb and flow through cognition. She wanders and she learns and she practices. Plenty of her time is spent like this. She feels confident, happy, and despite the sadness she feels when she thinks of Elizabeth missing, she truly enjoys her time attending the Velvet Room as she awaits her fated Guests.

Despite how long Margaret’s absence felt, it truly isn’t long until she does return, her guests' journey completed. Lavenza is not ashamed to beg for stories, fascinated by what seems to be a successful journey. After a little cajoling, Margaret tells her tales of facing inner demons- the strength of an individual rising as horrors and tragedy spiral around him. The true surprise, however, is when Margaret reveals that there was a misguided goddess she had aided directly in the Velvet Room, one apparently fond of penning dreary and depressing poems.

“Marie doesn’t sound much like a goddess’ name, Sister,” Lavenza comments, looking up from where she’s been paging through Margaret’s newest compendium. Margaret lets out a small laugh.

“Indeed. Marie was a goddess who had forgotten her memories- you will understand why at the conclusion of my tale. Our Master allowed her to stay in the Wildcard’s Velvet Room and take over some very minor duties. Although she could not help it, I had to constantly correct her mistakes and she was quite rude.”

“She was allowed to remain? Why did she get to go?” Lavenza hotly demands.

Margaret chuckles “Sister, are you perhaps jealous?”

Lavenza feels her face flush at the teasing as she stammers out “N-no!”. Margaret just laughs, her voice ringing like bells.

“She was an irreplaceable and important key to my guest’s journey, Lavenza. However, I must say I had gotten quite used to having you around. I have much to teach you, still.”

Lavenza feels her face grow even hotter, and she cannot help turning her back on her softly laughing sister to bury it in her hands.

* * *

Things in the Velvet Room start to become strange. Their Master speaks of changes in fate, Wildcards clashing, and it quickly becomes apparent when Margaret is summoned by a call only she can hear, her Wildcard needing her assistance.

Margaret quickly leaves again to participate in guiding her Wildcard and their confidants through a tournament of some sort. Theodore follows behind her, beckoned at the promise of Elizabeth but they don’t stay stationed away- they are in and out of the Outside world and their Wildcard’s designated rooms, although Lavenza isn’t allowed to visit with the Outside world yet (and technically, although not expressly forbidden as she is, neither are her elder siblings.)

Despite missing her siblings, Lavenza doesn’t feel left behind like the last time her siblings left. Theodore makes a point to check in on her, telling her about the strange people he met and the places he saw on his search for Elizabeth. Lavenza thinks that some of the errands Margaret is sending him on sounded rather unusual, but she has no trips to the Outside to compare it to.

The tournament passes much more quickly than Elizabeth and Margaret’s initial Wildcard journeys had been. With the tournament’s completion, it is to Lavenza’s surprise that not only have Margaret and Theodore returned but that Elizabeth is waiting alongside them when Lavenza and her Master greet them. Lavenza stares blankly in shock from where she’s standing at her Master’s side. Elizabeth shuffles awkwardly, before meeting her gaze. 

“After Margaret convinced me, I decided that I could continue my journey while still visiting- with our Master’s agreement, of course.”

Somehow, strangely, their Master _agrees-_ and so, after Elizabeth's return, she is in and out randomly and without explanation. Lavenza still feels hurt about Elizabeth leaving without saying anything, and Elizabeth, despite her exuberance, seems to understand and doesn’t pry. Still, she truly did miss her sister, and despite no longer trailing after her and Theo like she had when she was born- “ _My dear, you’ve grown so confident in my absence!” Elizabeth had crowed_ \- Lavenza makes sure that she sees Elizabeth during her sporadic visits.

Sometimes Elizabeth disappears for a long time, other times popping in and out rapidly. Lavenza doesn’t understand what her sister is doing, but she respects that this is Elizabeth’s’ understanding of her journey and doesn’t question it.

However, sometimes upon her return from Outside, Elizabeth returns with an odd myriad of trinkets and charms that Lavenza hasn’t even seen on Margaret's collection. She and Theo goggle at the strange items while Elizabeth dramatically makes up increasingly outlandish tales for their uses. Lavenza has to admit she missed Elizabeth’s exuberance, and the Velvet Room certainly feels livelier with her returns.

Among the items Elizabeth brings back, there is _food,_ real food, nothing like the cognitive facsimiles she is familiar with _._ After all, it’s not like pure Souls need to eat. It’s absolutely fascinating.

Flavors and textures are all so different and unique, and Lavenza finds herself having _fun_ when she tries the strange things Elizabeth brings back. The _takoyaki_ is what Lavenza would consider _good,_ the flavor and texture appealing- although she admittedly doesn’t have much to compare it to. The _kinako powder.._. Well, as irritating as their fighting could be, Lavenza was glad to see the liveliness Elizabeth’s return brought, even if it meant Theodore being bullied into scrubbing the spilled powder from their fighting off the tiles.

The _cola_ left a tingly feeling on her tongue that burned her nose, and she had to put up with both Theodore _and_ Elizabeth laughing at her as she spat it back out- apparently even Theo had tried it before. Eyes watering from the burn, Lavenza is too distracted pinching her nose to notice that Margaret has at some point walked into the room and is watching them. Curiously, Margeret dosen’t even bat an eyelash at Elizabeth’s latest haul- instead, she takes one of the remaining cans of _cola_ , cracking it open, and taking a long drink from it. More than a bit startled, Lavenza remembers suddenly that Margaret has been around much longer than the rest of them… _and_ that she was the one to return with Elizabeth. Her sister gives her a crimson smirk.

It is wonderful to have all her siblings back.


	6. Chapter 6

Having all three of her siblings back is exciting- Margaret demonstrates the fancier details and spell work lining her freshest compendium, the pages still thrumming hotly with the seals of Persona for summoning contained within. Theodore practices with her often in between their other duties to the Velvet Room, and when Elizabeth visits it’s like a firecracker going off, never dull and always keeping her on her toes.

Elizabeth and Theo were _supposed_ to be practicing her summoning and sparring with Persona lessons during Elizabeth’s most recent visit, but unsurprisingly Elizabeth had gotten sidetracked. 

Lost in her thoughts as she considers a move Theo has just explained (she is _trying_ to focus, Elizabeth), she lets out _quite_ an undignified shriek when she’s unexpectedly scooped up and spun around by Elizabeth, her limbs flailing uselessly as her sister ignores her and continues to narrate.

“The jaws of death have captured her- is this the end for our dear Sister? Oh, but she gains a second wind-” Elizabeth narrowly dodges an elbow to the chin but doesn’t lose her grip as she spins Lavenza so dizzy she can do nothing but cling to her Sister until she finally settles.

Elizabeth cackles and sets her down.   
  


Lavenza stumbles over to sit on a nearby bench, trying to regain her balance. Theo is scolding Elizabeth in the background before giving up with a huff, and when the worst of her nausea has passed Elizabeth sits next to her.

“Sister, enough” she whines, swatting Elizabeth's hand away irritably from where it is ruffling her hair, headband knocked askew. As much as it frustrates her, she puts up with more of Elizabeth’s prodding than she thinks Elizabeth deserves simply because she doesn’t visit for long stretches very often and despite how aggravating her teasing can be, she does miss her sister.

“Oh, I suppose I’ll stop with my teasing. I’m so excited for you. Sister, when you receive your Guest, it will be glorious. The Outside is beautiful in the strangest ways, and our Guests even more so.”

“May I come Outside next time? Master said I am not allowed to leave _alone.”_ She stresses the word- she has learned nuance has great meaning, and she will not be in trouble for being clever enough to exploit the loopholes that clearly have been intentionally given to her. Also, it doesn’t hurt that she knows Elizabeth delights in causing trouble.

Elizabeth hums thoughtfully before clapping her hands in excitement.

“Oh, how fun! But dear Sister, what makes you so curious?”

Lavenza kicks her feet, swinging them back and forth under the bench.

“Well, you always bring back the most curious things. The _food_ you bring is so bizarre, and when you were gone you left for so long and you must have seen many things?”

As Elizabeth loses a bit of her sparkle, Lavenza belatedly realizes that this is probably, as Margaret has tried to explain the last time Elizabeth's last guest came up, a _sensitive topic,_ one best to avoid- but Margaret didn’t tell her what she should say if she messed up. However, after a long pause, Elizabeth seems to recover, regaining her luster.

“I'm pretty sure Margaret would have my head if I took you out, with how young you are- there’s still a lot you need to know, and you haven’t even had your first _Guest_ yet- oh my! I could never spoil that for you. Yes, we will simply have to wait.” Elizabeth’s hands flutter around her at lightspeed, shining in the way only Elizabeth seems to do, bright and cheery.

Lavenza huffs out a sigh but doesn’t argue- after all, they do have to focus on her teachings.

“Now then!” Elizabeth claps her hands. “Let us practice!”

* * *

Not long after her conversation with Elizabeth, Lavenza has found herself restless- she’s wandering the pathways between rooms in all of her free time, searching for something that seems to be calling to her. Soon after her odd behavior begins, her Master summons her and she is told that she will be expecting a Wildcard soon. Their journey has yet to begin, but it is not yet time to start. Lavenza finds herself both nervous with anticipation and excited for her true duties to shine.

Her Master beckons to her and she follows him beyond the regular pathways of cognition in the Velvet Room. Unfamiliar with the path, she nervously follows, sticking close to her Master. After a long while of walking, they arrive at a surprising location. Lavenza gasps as she quickly recognizes the shore of the Sea of Souls. This was where she was born, after all.

“It will begin soon. It is time for you to truly pick the strand of fate we will meddle with- a Guest is close to awakening.” At those words, her Master disappears, leaving her alone on the shore. She is alarmed because she doesn’t know what to _do_. After allowing herself a moment of panic, she takes a deep breath to settle her nerves and sets out to look around.

The platform she laid on when she was last here is gone, instead replaced with a pedestal in the middle of the fluctuating room. On this pedestal lays a solid black Compendium. As if in a trance, she finds herself magnetically drawn over. For a long moment, all she can do is stare reverently at the Compendium. This is for her; she can feel it. She gently brushes her fingers over the cover before picking the Compendium with reverence- she feels her very being extend to it.

As she lifts the book up and away, a creature the size of her palm scuttles out from beneath the book. Stepping back in alarm she watches as the creature’s many legs propel it over the platform and out of sight. Belatedly, she remembers that Elizabeth has shown her a _spider_ before. What is a spider doing here? She stares after the spider before deciding to follow.

Adjusting the weight of her Compendium in one arm, she steps around the pedestal to pursue the strange spider and suddenly finds herself transported without any warning. Her step forward has her immediately stepping into what she presumes is another room entirely. Unlike the pulsating blue of the shore of the Sea of Souls, she is now surrounded by nothing but an abyss.

She turns around and can’t find a pathway back. She also can’t see the spider anymore, but she doesn’t know what else to do but walk forward. Nervously clutching her Compendium to her chest, she begins walking onward and onward, lulled into a peaceful sort of trance as she watches the ebbs and flows of the darkness seemingly following her every step. A slow, rushing roar is filling her ears- louder and louder, it feels as if it is crying to her very soul. The darkness is moving, somehow, and she feels how alive this place is.

As she takes one more step forward, she watches as the ripples pulse and don’t fade- instead, they hit objects, color flooding upwards. Mesmerized, she spins slowly in a circle, enclosed by a bright light that pulses and spreads until it illuminates what she’s discovered.

Spinning around in amazement, her jaw drops in awe as she discovers that she is surrounded by a brilliant golden spiderweb. It stretches into the abyss, further than she can ever hope to see. The gossamers are glistening and shimmering in the darkness, beads of light clinging to various sections like flies caught in traps. _Look into me_ they seem to call, _you’ll find it_.

Absolutely entranced, Lavenza doesn’t know how long she gazes on the webs, forever spiraling on. However, she snaps out of her meditative trance when she suddenly notices that there is a particular thread on the spiderweb that shines brighter than the rest- not visually, but in a way that pulls her very being. _Come closer. It’s me._

She suddenly finds herself stretching her arm out as it seems to thrum and sing at her, and when she blinks her fingers have curved, hooking around the thread. Yes, she realizes as she touches it, this is the one and it rushes through her and her instincts are screaming _do it_ so she pulls the thread closer to her, closer and closer until it _snaps_ -

Far away from her, on the Outside at the same moment, a dark-haired teenaged boy hears the screams of a woman down the street and decides to intervene. Lavenzas feels it: her Guest has begun his journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY, we reached the end! I've got two more works in this series planned, so please look forward to them.

**Author's Note:**

> I am DETERMINED to finish a multichapter fic for once in my life. This is a trial at posting one of the many I have planned out. This is planned to be a 3-part series 'Triptych" detailing Lavenza's introduction to the Velvet Room multiverse (for lack of a better word), Lavenza's experience preparing Joker's Velvet Room for arrival as Yaldabaoth looms overhead, and then Caroline & Justine's journey back to themselves. Welcome to Part 1! Updates will either be super slow or uploaded all at once- we'll see what groove I get into. Please enjoy!


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